Is Speaker Ryan’s Healthcare Plan A Better Way?

Last week, House Speaker Paul Ryan announced that Republican lawmakers will introduce a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act next week when Congress returns from a week-long recess. He noted that lawmakers are waiting for cost estimates of the bill to return from both the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation.

“It has become increasingly clear that this law is collapsing,” Ryan told reporters at his weekly press meeting. “It will keep getting worse unless we act.”

While Speaker Ryan did not reveal a lot of information about his plan, the bill would most likely resemble his A Better Way plan for healthcare. Some Speaker Ryan’s changes include:

Replacing subsidies for purchasing coverage through the exchange based on income with a fixed tax credit for each American that would increase with age, regardless of income.

Expanding the use of health savings accounts

Capping tax breaks on employer-sponsored premiums, which is also in newly appointed HHS Sectary Tom Price’s plan.

Allowing individuals up to the age of 26 to remain on their parent’s health plan

Keeping provisions preventing insurers from canceling plans suddenly

Creating continuous coverage protections that would allow insurers to charge a person more if they lose coverage

Limiting the open enrollment period

Giving more control over Medicaid to the States

Permanently enacting the Weldon Amendment, also known as The Federal Refusal Clause, which allows doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers to not provide certain medical procedures on religious grounds, as well as expanding the Hyde Amendment

Changes to NIH discretionary funding

Streamlining the FDA approval process

Improved use of electronic health records

While the final bill will most certainly be different from these proposals, it is crucial to look at a prominent Republican plan to see what they think healthcare reform should look like. Republicans have enough votes in the House to approve a plan without Democratic support; Senate Republicans will need to reach across the aisle to pass a bill.